Collapsible back rest



June 7, 1960 B. w. KRONE ET AL 2,939,518

COLLAPSIBLE BACK REST Filed Aug. 14, 1958 JNVENTORS @z jam IMXM United States P emo I 2,939,518 COLLAPSIBLE BACK REST Ben w. Krone, 8530 N. Niles Center Roud,'Skokie, Ill., and Lowell L. Smith, Loves Park, Ill. (1923 Sharon Ave., Rockford, Ill.)

Filed Aug. 14, 1958, Ser. No. 755,099

2 Claims. (Cl. 155-153) This invention relates to back rests and particularly to a collapsible back rest adapted-to be erected on the beach, lawn or the like.

An important object of this invention is to provide a back rest which may be collapsed and rolled into a compact bundle for convenient storage and transportation.

Another object of this invention is to provide a back rest which is simple in construction, easily assembled and disassembled, and which is comfortable to use.

These together with various ancillary objects and advantages of this invention will be more readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure l is a side elevational view of the back rest and illustrating the same in use;

Figure 2 is an enlarged front view of the back rest with parts broken away to illustrate details of construction;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the frame of the back rest;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the sockets and support strips for attaching the flexible sheet to the frame;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the back rest in an assembled condition; and

Figure 6 is an end view of the back rest in a collapsed condition.

Referring more specifically to the accompanying drawings, there is shown a back rest including a frame having a crosspiece 10 adapted to rest upon the ground or other supporting surface. A first pair of rods or arms 11 are attached to the crosspiece and extend upwardly therefrom and a second pair of rods or arms 12 are also attached to the crosspiece and extend horizontally therefrom. In the specific embodiment illustrated, the crosspiece 10 is formed of a cylindrical bar of wood or similar material and has a first pair of bores or holes 13 (see Fig. 2) formed therein for detachably receiving one end of the upright rods 11. The bores 13 are located adjacent opposite ends of the crosspiece 10 and diverge relative to each other to support the rods 11 in upwardly diverging relation, as is clearly shown in Figure 2. The rods 11 may be formed of any suitable material such as wooden dowels or metal tubing'or the like. A second pair of bores 14 (see Fig. 2) are also formed in the crosspiece 10 and, in order to prevent in- H received in the holes 14. The angle between these two Patented June 7, 1960 2 planes is made somewhat greater than and appreciably less than e a As is apparent from Figuresv 1 and 5, the crosspiece 10 rests directly uponthe ground and the horizontally extending arms 12 are arranged to extend therefrom and along opposite sides of the individual using the back rest. The arms 11 extend upwardly and rearwardly to support the flexible sheet 21 and provide acomfortable back rest. In order to facilitate packaging, the arms 11 and 12 are preferably made the same. length. The arms 12, which are located inwardly of the arms 11 on the crosspiece 10, are preferably arranged to diverge through a relatively greater angle so that the ends of the arms 12 are spaced apart a distance equal to the spacing of the free ends of the arms 11.

The flexible support sheet 21 has one end thereof attached to the upper ends of the arms 11 and the intermediate side edges thereof attached to the horizontally extending arms 12 to extend loosely therebetween and form a comfortable back rest.

One end of the flexible sheet 21 is looped over a strip of webbing 22 and secured thereto as by stitching 23. The ends of the web 22 extend outwardly from the side edges of the flexible sheet and are detachably secured to the upper ends of the arms 11. Conveniently, the web 22 maybe folded longitudinally upon itself and stitched along a line 24 spaced from the end to form a pocket which is closed by additional stitching 25 along the upper edge thereof. As shown in Figure 4, a metal ferrule 26 may conveniently be inserted into the pocket formed in the web to reinforce the latter.

The flexible sheet 21 is also attached, intermediate the ends thereof, to the ends of the arms 12. This is con.- veniently effected by providing straps 27 which extend outwardly from the oppositeside edges of the flexible sheet 21, intermediate the ends of the latter, and are stitched to form pockets for receiving the ends of the arms 12, in the manner previously described in connection with the web 22. The straps 27 are secured to the flexible sheet 21 in any desired manner, such as by the stitching 28 shown in Figure 5.

In use, it is only necessary to insert the rods 11 into the holes 13 and to insert the rods 12 into the holes 14 and thereafter attach the flexible sheet 21 to the rods by inserting the pocketed ends of the web 22 onto the upper ends of the arms 11 and by inserting the pockets on the straps 27 onto the ends of the arms 12. The arms 11 maintain the strap 22 relatively taut. When the individual reclines on the flexible sheet 21, and presses backwardly on the upper portion thereof, the frame tends to tilt rearwardly as shown in Figure 21. As the frame tilts rearwardly, the horizontally extending arms 12 rise upwardly and draw the side edges of the flexible sheet 21 upwardly and partially around the individual reclining thereon. The flexible sheet 21 is thus drawn upwardly at its side edges into conformity with the body of the individual reclining thereon to more uniformly support the same.

In order to disassemble the back rest, it is only necessary to remove the flexible sheet from the ends of the arms 11 and 12 and thereafter withdraw the arms from the respective holes or sockets in the crosspiece 10. The arms or rods 11 and 12' may then be positioned alongside the crosspiece and the flexible sheet 21 then rolled around the crosspiece 10 and rods 11 and 12 to form a compact bundle for convenient storage and transportation.

We claim;

1. A back rest comprising an elongated solid bar having a first pair of transverse holes therein adjacent opposite ends and disposed in a common plane, said member having a second pair of holes therein spaced axially I 3 y from a respective one of said" first pair of holes and disposedin a plane angularly spaced relative t0 the holes of said first set, a first pair of rods having a diameter smaller than said bar received in said first set oholes, a second'pair' of rods having a diameter smaller thansaid bar detachably received in said second pair of holes, said first pair of rods divergingfirelative to each other in a direction away from said bar; said second pair of rods diverging relative to each other in a'direction away from said'bar and terminating with the free ends thereof spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the opening between the free ends of the first pair of rods, 2. flexible sheet having a first flexible strap means adjacent one end thereof mounted on the free ends .of said first pair of rods and providing a laterally flexible connection between the free ends of the first pair of rods whereby the latter are free toflex toward and away from each other, and a second flexible strap means attached to said flexible sheet at a point thereon spaced from the first strap means and mounted on the free ends of the 20 second pair of rods and providing a laterally flexible connection between the free ends of the second pair of rods whereby the latter are free to flex toward and away from each other to maintain 'the flexible sheet taut therebetween.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said first and second strap means hav'e'socketsi formed thereon for detachably receiving the ends of the respective rods.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS i a l, 

